Rookie Justin Crawford to start in center field for PhilliesESPNMultiple AuthorsMar 25, 2026, 01:23 PM ET
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Rookie Justin Crawford, the son of ex-major leaguer Carl Crawford, will be the starting center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies as this season gets underway Thursday.
After impressing in spring training, Crawford, who was ESPN’s No. 69 MLB prospect for 2026, was named to the Opening Day roster on Wednesday.
Crawford, 22, will be in the lineup when the Phillies host the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, making him the team’s youngest starting outfielder on Opening Day since 1972 (Mike Anderson).
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“I feel ready,” Crawford told reporters earlier this week. “I’m ready to go.”
The speedy Crawford will be a threat on the bases and has plus contact skills at the plate along with a solid approach and solid-average raw power. The 17th overall pick in the 2022 draft hit .250 this spring with a triple (off Tarik Skubal) and three doubles in 55 at-bats. He did, however, have 12 strikeouts and only two walks.
His father was a four-time All-Star outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays who last played in the major leagues in 2016 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over 15 MLB seasons, Carl Crawford had a .290 batting average with 766 RBIs and 480 stolen bases.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
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